Moomin and Little Myy participated in the All Saints Day Parade in Hancock.
Heikki has been celebrated in the small Michigan town of Hancock for 25 years. Photographer Antti J. Leinonen followed the course of the day.
On the weakest day the bear turns its side. Heikki divides the hay. Heikki turns the back of winter.
Who remembers the sayings?
In the small Michigan town of Hancock, these were remembered when Heikin's Day was celebrated there a week ago on Saturday.
Event founder Jim Kurtti answers the phone from the United States.
“It's important to celebrate pride in Finnish ancestry!”, Kurtti answers the question, what is the purpose of Heikinjäut.
Heikki's Name Day was January 19 in Finland.
Jim Kurtti wanted to celebrate his Finnish roots on Heikin's day.
Streets are also named in Finnish in Hancock, Michigan.
in northern Michigan the town of Hancock, located near the Canadian border, has about 4,000 inhabitants. About a third of them have Finnish ancestry.
Weakness Day has been celebrated in Hancock for 25 years.
The event day includes, among other things, kantele playing, making Karelian pies, and kick sled racing.
This year, open swimming could not be organized due to weak ice.
Kurt
ti says that the winter has been the warmest on record. There is only about half a meter of snow now.
The temperature is also reflected in the number of visitors to the event. The colder the weather, the more people usually take part in Midsummer's day walks, says Kurtti.
He estimated that this year there were 1,500 to 2,000 participants.
A kick sled race was organized for the children.
On the weakest day, a wife-carrying contest was also organized.
The signs gave instructions in Finnish and English.
Siblings Johan and Brita Hepokoski jumped into a cold bath.
Kurt's own grandparents moved from Kuusamo to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.
“We were taught that Finland is a special place – a holy place. We admired everything in Finland and imitated it as much as possible.”
Kurt has two saunas and says that he drinks afternoon coffee with wheat every day.
He has been to Finland 14 times, but says he is worried about how much English is heard in Finland today.
Riikka Hepokoski and Kayleen Holmström host the canteen on Midsummer's Day.
Ear buds were also available in the canteen.
66 years old Kurtti says that Finnishness lives deep in him.
“America is so big that simply being American is not enough.”
According to Kurt, American Finns form a very close-knit community in the United States.
“It's so easy for us because the news from Finland is always so good.”
Finlandia University students Seth Dahl and Harold Noble dressed up as Ant and Rannanjärvi of the Big House.
Adam Johnsson was dressed as the snow saint of American Finns.
Ken Linna's hat was imported from Finland in the 1960s.
American Finns Jeff Larson from Michigan and Mary Hanson from Washington DC try to participate in the Heikinpävi celebrations every year.
Scott Lindenberg, a Methodist minister, was dressed as Bishop Henrik.
Charley Wallace took part in the All Saints Day parade for the first time. “I was originally supposed to be Tuonela's swan, but my head was too big for the costume,” Wallace said.
Väinämöinen and Sampo participated in the Midsummer Day parade.
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